by Dawnielle Jacobson | Sep 21, 2018 | news
Christmas Markets Tour
Flights are selling at record low prices from the USA to Munich for the first week of December. These roundtrip fares to Munich are selling, right now, from $505. Check out the price on: Rome2Rio, Orbitz or at your favorite air carrier’s website. Find a fare and snag it, then join me and Charlotte for our Christmas Markets tour in December.
You’ll need to depart the USA on Saturday, 12/1/18 to arrive at the Munich Airport (MUC) the next morning (12/2/18). We will pick you up at the airport and whisk you away to Salzburg to begin the tour! Schedule your return flight for Sunday, 12/9/18.
To sweeten the pot, I will add an early Christmas bonus to all who sign up right away. Join my tour and pay your deposit by October 1, 2018, and receive a $100 discount on the tour. Currently, my Christmas Markets Tour is selling for $3189 per person. If you are a single traveler, I’ll reduce the single room supplement to $359, a $200 savings off of the advertised price.
Christmas Markets pop up all over Central Europe during the first weeks of December. These outdoor markets feature unique decorations, beautifully handcrafted arts, and endless opportunities to sample some great food and countless varieties of glüwein, punch, and spiced drinks, served piping hot in souvenir mugs.
But there is more to this tour than snow-sprinkled markets! You’ll enjoy visiting many destinations that, during the busy tourist season, are packed shoulder-to-shoulder with sweaty tourists. Traveling off-season means easy access to the castles and sights in Salzburg, Schwangau, Rothenburg, Munich, Nürnberg, and more. There has never been a better time to visit Europe’s winter wonderland destinations.
All our tours are designed for strictly small groups ranging from 6 to 18 travelers. This means we can travel off the beaten path and under the big bus tour radar and experience Europe on a unique and personal level. Eating well is also a priority, and you’ll get your fair share of fine food sourced locally by excellent chefs. I’ve spent years poking around Europe’s nooks and crannies looking for unique restaurants, clean hotels with character and cozy B&Bs. Our tours include all tips and gratuities to drivers, local guides, and your tour leader. Finally, we’ll never nickel and dime you with extras and add-ons. The advertised price is the price you pay.
So, what are you waiting for? Why not take a vacation to Europe in December? Head over to my website to sign up today.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
by Dawnielle Jacobson | Sep 1, 2018 | news
Best of Italy, October 14-27
Take $500 off when you sign up now.
Visit the essential tourist sites and classic destinations in Rome and Florence, take in the Mediterranean coast and experience a classic hilltown. Then head to Venice and Lake Como, and cap off your trip with a visit to Milan. Here are just a few of the highlights on this tour:
- Experience the life of the Popes at the Vatican Museum
- Take in the most famous gladiatorial arena at the Colosseum
- Hike through vineyards or catch some sun along the Mediterranean
- Sample local wine and cuisine in Volterra
- Marvel at Michelangelo’s David
- Walk the halls that once belonged to the powerful Medici family
- Float down the canals of Venice in a gondola
- Have a coffee in the famous St. Mark’s Square
- Take a cruise on beautiful Lake Como
- Visit the iconic Duomo of Milan
- See da Vinci’s Last Supper
- And more!
See the full itinerary and sign up for an upcoming tour here.
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Christmas Markets Tour
Have you started planning your Christmas vacation? Why not join David on his Christmas Markets tour! Christmas Markets pop up all over Central Europe during the first weeks of December. These outdoor markets feature unique decorations, beautifully handcrafted arts, and endless opportunities to sample some great food and countless varieties of glüwein, punch, and spiced drinks, served piping hot in souvenir mugs.
But there is more to this tour than snow-sprinkled markets! You’ll enjoy visiting many destinations that, during the busy tourist season, are packed shoulder-to-shoulder with sweaty tourists. Traveling off-season means easy access to the castles and sights in Salzburg, Schwangau, Rothenburg, Munich, Nürnberg, and more. There has never been a better time to visit Europe’s winter wonderland destinations. Sign up here.
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Scrapbook Contest
It’s that time of year again! Enter the virtual scrapbook contest and you could win a free seat on any 2019 David McGuffin tour. A virtual scrapbook is a great way to share your tour experiences, and making a website is easier than you might think. So, get out those digital photos and travel journals and show off your memories!
Here’s a post that will help you get started with choosing a website builder (scroll down for a review of eight of the most popular), then head over to our website to see the rules and enter the contest.
The deadline to enter is February 5, 2019.
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Calendar Photo Submissions
Dust off those albums (or flash drives)! Send us your best Exploring Europe photo and it could be included in the 2019 calendar. If your photo is chosen you will receive $100 off your next Exploring Europe vacation!
The deadline to submit photos is October 15.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
by Dawnielle Jacobson | Aug 17, 2018 | news
Wines of Tuscany: White Wine
To cap off my blog series about the wines of Tuscany, let’s talk about the white wine choices. Tuscany is most famous for its red wine, but there are a few whites that stand out as well. Many people think that all Italians drink only red wine, this could not be farther from the truth. In fact, Italians, and especially those in Tuscany, prefer to drink red wine when eating fatty foods and heavy cheeses. If they’re simply going to sit around and drink, it will be a glass of white wine, a beer or another refreshing nonalcoholic beverage. So, let’s take a look at some of the popular white wines of Tuscany.
VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO is a DOCG wine produced from the Vernaccia grape grown in the vicinity of San Gimignano. Many experts agree that this is the oldest grape variety in Italy. It has shown up in historical records dating back to 1276, and Dante mentions Vernaccia as a contributing factor to Pope Martin IV’s gluttony in his Inferno (loosely translated as “he ate pickled eels in vernaccia”). According to DOCG regulations, Vernaccia di San Gimignano must contain at least 90% Vernaccia. Vintners may add up to 10% of other approved white grape varieties. In order to achieve riserva status, it must be aged at least 12 months. The wine is crisp with lots of acidity and laced with tart apple and citrus flavors. Serve it chilled. It makes a good easy-drinking and refreshing wine for everyday use or to drink on a hot summer’s day.
VERMENTINO is a grape variety which is usually grown near the seaside. The resulting wine offers a crisp feel on the tongue with floral and fruity flavors. It often possesses some salty undertones, especially from the grapes grown at the seaside. This is another very drinkable wine that pairs well with fresh fish, roasted vegetables or goat cheese.
Other White Wines
There are some other less-important white wine grapes grown in Tuscany but for me, the two mentioned above stand out above all others. Of course, other regions of Italy produce some very good white wines, mostly based on the Trebbiano grape. Most notable are Orvieto Classico (Umbria) and Soave (Verona).
I can’t end my discussion about white wine without mentioning my favorite Italian region of Liguria. Located along the mountainous seaside are five little villages known as the Cinque Terre. Only here will you find their wine: Cinque Terre DOC. This wine must contain at least 40% of the local Bosco grape, but may also contain up to 40% of both Vermentino and Albarola. The final 20% can contain white varieties approved by the local wine consortium. You can’t find this wine outside the Cinque Terre! So, even if you don’t like wine, go there and give this unique crisp and dry wine a try!
If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
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Calendar Photo Submissions
Dust off those albums (or flash drives)! Send us your best Exploring Europe photo and it could be included in the 2019 calendar. If your photo is chosen you will receive $100 off your next Exploring Europe vacation! The deadline to submit photos is October 15.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
by Dawnielle Jacobson | Aug 14, 2018 | news
Strictly Small Groups with David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe Tours
I am making a change to my small-group policy to better serve you.
The State of Tourism in Europe
During the last eight months, I’ve traveled all over Europe to both small, out-of-the-way destinations and big travel sites. If there’s one thing I’ve seen in common, it is the surge of tourism. Europe is now inundated with tourists seeking to see the great sites: Venice, Rome, the Alcázar, the Cliffs of Moher, the Eiffel Tower, Castle Neuschwanstein, and more. The European Union reports that 167 million tourists spent one or more nights there in 2017. For many popular locations, that was a 15 to 20% increase over the previous year. So far in 2018, Spain is the top destination, with Italy running a close second. These visitors are not just from North America; a vast majority hail from Japan, China, Korea, and India. Folks from these countries must be getting great travel deals at home because I have seen their presence increase by 100% at major tourist destinations in the past five years.
Residents of popular tourist destinations are fed up with mass tourism. They complain that the daily influx of tourist crowds has taken their towns away from them and turned them into a theme-park atmosphere. Many municipalities are taking steps to limit the influx of travelers and tourism. For example, the popular seaside destination known as the Cinque Terre (Liguria, Italy) is working on plans to limit the daily number of tourists that can enter the region. The Cliffs of Moher, once a lonely pasture in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland, is now expanding their parking lots and limiting the number of visitors per day. The Alcázar, in Granada, Spain, has put a cap on the daily number of visitors making it impossible to enter without an advanced reservation. This year, 25,000 people a day visit the Vatican Museum; the hallways are jammed with tourists participating in the daily “cattle-call” that ends at the Sistine Chapel. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, hosting 20,000 tourists per day, is in the midst of a massive renovation to handle and control the crowds. These are just a few examples of the crowded troubles I’ve seen at popular tourist sites over the last few months.
Tourism in Europe is growing by leaps and bounds and it’s only projected to get bigger. The big bus tours and cruise ships account for much of the crowds at popular tourist destinations. Cruisers who take a shore excursion for five hours are certainly not receiving an authentic European travel experience, and the fifty passengers on a big bus will spend much of their time at highway toilet stops, tacky tourist shops, and mediocre restaurants.
The Benefits of Small-Group Travel
I’ve always been an advocate for small-group travel and have limited my publicly advertised tours to 32 or fewer passengers. Really, over the years, my average size group has been about 10 to 12 travelers. However, beginning today, David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe groups will consist of strictly small groups ranging from 6 to 18 comfortable and happy travelers.
Many tour organizers put fifty people on a fifty-passenger bus and drive through Europe like cattle packed in a freight train. These folks travel in an “Americanized bubble” and are only let out on occasion to see the real Europe. Even then, they travel in large packs being herded from one sight or shopping venue to another by their “kickback hungry” drivers and guides. When buying gifts, souvenirs, meals, and even snacks, these group members often pay inflated tourist prices. Yes, they see Europe (from a slanted perspective), but they never EXPERIENCE Europe.
I am confident my small groups are more mobile and quicker on their feet than the typical big bus groups and this allows us to see, do, and experience more. We provide a unique travel experience by ensuring that you are treated as individuals seeking to learn about your destination. My strictly small group tours may cost a bit more than going with the big buses and huge tour companies, but your ultimate experience will be much better. Small group travel is the only way to go!
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Reminder: Discounts on the Christmas Markets Tour
Don’t forget to sign up for my Christmas Markets Tour by August 19, 2018 to receive a $100 discount. Currently, my Christmas Markets Tour is selling for $3189 per person. If you are a single traveler, I’ll reduce the single room supplement to $359, a $200 savings off the advertised price.
Head over to my website to sign up today.
Your Adventure Starts Here!
by Dawnielle Jacobson | Jul 6, 2018 | news
Super Tuscans
Super Tuscan… what is that supposed to mean? A new super hero, a WWF wrestler or a very hot Italian super model? Well, in the world of wine, Super Tuscan could mean all of the above. Simply put, Super Tuscan is a purely concocted term referring to red wine made in Tuscany that does not conform to the wine classification system imposed by the Italian government. In 1963, a group of Italian winemakers got together to find a way to raise the quality standards for Italian wines and classify regional wines according to local wine-making traditions. Their goal was to provide a way to gauge the quality of a wine and its production area and to determine if it was made in a consistent style and quality. The Italian wine experts defined three wine rankings: DOC, DOCG, and VdT. For more on this classification system see my article: The Wines of Tuscany.
This may have been a good idea, at least on paper, but in Tuscany, the new classification system overlooked many wine producers. In fact, the Chianti DOC limited vintners to making some mediocre to poor red wine. Even worse, the “rules” for the Chianti Classico region stipulated that vintners were to use 10%-30% of white wine to mix with their red and to limit the time the blend stayed in the barrel to mature. In the end, this wine was young and fruity, but certainly, nothing to submit for competition on the international market.
By the late 1960s, many Tuscan winemakers were fed up with these silly rules imposed by the Italian government. So, a small group of vintners, led by Marchese Piero Antinori, decided to strike out on their own and produce their wine outside the DOC/DOCG classification system. In other words, it would be classified as vino da tavola, or table wine. These guys abandoned the rules and created a Sangiovese-based wine mixed with international varietal grapes such as: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Additionally, they played around with various types of barrel-aging with casks made from French and other international oaks. After years of experimentation and aging, these wines began to get the attention of some wine critics. Great wines were “born” with names such as Tignanello and Sassicaia. But, they could only be called table wine, even though they tasted great and cost a small fortune.
Many think the actual term “Super Tuscan” can be attributed to Robert M. Parker Jr., the noted wine advocate who began rating wine on a 100-point scale. Through his writing, critiques and high point-ratings, he boosted the appeal of these no-named wines produced in Tuscany, drove up their cost and called international attention to a new ‘breed’ of wine.
With no rules to follow, the vintners put their newly created Super Tuscan wines in a totally new category outside any specified DOC. The only thing everyone could agree on was there were some amazing wines being created in Tuscany’s Chianti region.
In 1992, the Italian government “wine regulators” finally saw the light and introduced a new official wine classification, ITG (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). It includes the Super Tuscans and many other wines previously not defined in the DOC classification system. Additionally, new DOCs were added, such as DOC Bolgheri, that allowed for non-native grape varieties.
Let’s take a look at a few of the best (and priciest) wines and a few affordable bottles.
Here are some of the top Super Tuscans:
- Sassicaia – This is the wine that started it all. Recent vintages sell for $150. !985 vintage goes for $4000+.
- Tignanello – This was the first Super-Star Tuscan and is named for the vineyard where the grapes are grown. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are blended for this wine. $60-$250 depending on the vintage. (Antinori)
- Solaia – All grapes grown in a single vineyard containing Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Recent vintages run $120-$300. 1998 vintage goes for up to $650.
- Ornellaia – Made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Sells for $125-$500 depending on the vintage and designer label.
- Masseto – Made only from Merlot grapes grown in a single vineyard. Depending on vintage it sells for $350-$800 a bottle.
- Redigaffi – 100% Merlot grapes. Robert Parker gave the 2000 vintage a score of 100 points. Plan to pay $650 to $800 depending on the vintage. There is a younger “rosso” version selling for $120-$300.
Don’t worry, there are some affordable Super Tuscans out there as well. Next time you are at your wine shop, pick up one of these bottles:
- Castello Banfi Centine Toscana – This Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend is good and approachable. $10-$15 depending on the vintage.
- Podere Brancaia Tre Rosso Toscana – The three reds, Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tre Rosso is made from grapes grown on three (tre) estates, in Castellina, Radda, and Morellino di Scansano. Sells for $20-$25.
- Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo Toscana – Named for the “seven bridges” that cross the Arno River on the road from Arezzo to Florence. Sangiovese and Merlot make up this blend. Plan to pay about $35.
- Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove Bolgheri – This is the “little sister” to the famous Ornellaia mention above. Made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. About $60.
All of the Super Tuscan wines are RED and meant to be consumed with fatty food such as salami, cold cuts, prosciutto, steaks and meaty pasta dishes. Give one a try the next time you are looking for a good bottle of red wine.
Outro
If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.
Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
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Big Savings on Upcoming Tours
If your schedule is flexible, join us on an upcoming tour and take advantage of big savings.
TASTE O’IRELAND, August 19-28 $500 discount – 4 seats remaining
THE BEST OF SCOTLAND & WALES, Sept 4-13 $400 discount – 4 seats remaining
THE BEST OF ITALY, Sept 16-29 $500 discount – 4 seats remaining
THE BEST OF ITALY, October 14-27 $500 discounted – 3 seats remaining
BATTLEFIELDS OF FRANCE & BELGIUM, October 16-26 $500 discount – 4 seats remaining
For more information about the tours on sale, click here.
Tours to Italy
Interested in sampling a local Super Tuscan? Join us on one of our upcoming tours.
Essence of Italy – A 9-day tour with stops in Rome, the Cinque Terre, Pisa, Volterra, Siena and Florence.
Tour dates:
2018: September 16-24, October 14-22.
2019: April 7-15, May 5-13, June 30-July 8, September 22-30
Best of Italy – A 13-day tour. All the destinations of the Essence of Italy, plus Venice, Lake Como and Milan.
Tour dates:
2018: September 16-29, October 14-27.
2019: April 7-20, May 5-18, June 30-July 13, September 22-October 5
Tuscany Villa Vacation – Enjoy a relaxing stay in a Tuscan villa with day trips to Volterra, Siena, San Gimignano and Lucca. Begin and end your tour in Florence.
Tour dates:
2019: May 24-June 2, September 13-22
Your Adventure Starts Here!
Flights are selling at record low prices from the USA to Munich for the first week of December. These roundtrip fares to Munich are selling, right now, from $505. Check out the price on: Rome2Rio, Orbitz or at your favorite air carrier’s website. Find a fare and snag it, then join me and Charlotte for our Christmas Markets tour in December.
